


Songs For The Weak

by Wearenotalright



Category: My Chemical Romance
Genre: Bullying, Homophobia, M/M, Sexual Abuse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-02-20
Updated: 2014-02-20
Packaged: 2018-01-13 03:06:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,770
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1210384
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wearenotalright/pseuds/Wearenotalright
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Frank is a history teacher at his old high school and he has a rather interesting new student. Bandit Way. She was tall and lanky and the other students shunned her for being the "weird kid". Frank has no other choice but to call her father in for a meeting to tell him the horrible news that his little girl is getting bullied.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Just the start of something. Other characters will be added as i get more into the story. Enjoy!

I can't believe I'm a teacher. I can't believe that I'm not only a teacher but a teacher at my old school, the school I swore I would never walk into ever again due to my fellow students making my days a living hell. 

I remember in high school everyone picked on me. I was short and chubby. I was a book worm and I was always reading or listening to music. I used to wear a lot of black and I got called a freak for it everyday. Still to this day I can't stand teenagers. Teenagers are possibly the most dangerous people around. They have no care in the world and can careless if they get in trouble for something. It's like they think they're Superman or some shit. 

I walked up and went into the building. Nothing has changed too much since I left years ago when I was at the tender age of 17. I graduated early due to over working myself and taking extra classes to get out of there as fast as possible. I would have never thought I would be walking down these halls again. This time I get respect instead of blows to the stomach. 

I always wanted to do something with music, play and sing on a stage but my passion for steering kids into the right direction in life took over me. It's crazy to think that these kids hold our future. They're the ones that will be taking care of us in our old age, and that's a scary thought. 

I walked into the main office and grabbed my schedule, listing the students I will be having for the year. I'm the new teacher so no one really knows me besides really old teachers that used to have me back in high school. I just wanted everything to be perfect and there was no room for distractions. 

I taught period 1 - 5 then I had lunch and then I would have 2 more classes and I was done for the day. Written on the bottom of the schedule was an offer for me. I could be an assistant in an art class for the rest of the day. I might as well. It's not like I have a social life. Plus it means more money and money is the motive. 

I felt like a broken record for the start of the day. Every class I've said the same thing over and over. It was dull and boring and I was getting tired. I really need some coffee. I mentally noted that I'll run to Starbucks on my lunch hour. I'm into class 4 and the bell just rang. 

"Hello, everyone!" I fake cheered. "Welcome to history in your second year of high school. My name is Mr Iero but you already knew that..." I chuckled. I sound so lame. 

"This is the first day so we aren't going to be really doing anything. I'm going to hand out these forms I wrote up. I like to know about my students. If you don't want to answer some questions, that's fine. I also wrote up some contact forms for you to fill out incase something happens and I can notify your parents." I explained and handing out papers to everyone in class. 

I heard some laughter and small banter through out the class as I sat at my desk going over the previous forms and getting them taken care of and putting them in files. 

I could tell who is going to be a pain in my ass and who isn't. It's funny with kids. They think they have it all figured out and that they have us adults fooled but really they don't. I see passed everyone but I'm just quiet and don't say anything. I like to keep those thoughts to myself. 

As class ended everyone handed me their forms and papers. The last student tripped over what seems like air and I heard laughter fill the room and the girl blush from embarrassment. 

"Did you fall over your daddy's comics again you freak?" I heard a rather large guy snicker at the blushing female. 

I groaned. Oh high school...

The shy and embarrassed girl walked over and handed in her papers and didn't say a word. Just left. I automatically looked at her paper, now fully interested in the girl. 

Name: Bandit Way  
Parent(s) and job title:  
Mom - (blank)  
Dad - Gerard Way. Comic book artist  
Phone number for emergency: 097-443-0795

What are some things that interest you?  
Art. 

Nothing else was filled out. My mind was going in circles. Way. Gerard Way. As in my old classmate Gerard Way? No. It can't be..

The chances of that are really slim. Rumor had it back in the day that he was heavily into drugs. I can't picture him having a kid. 

The rest of the day went as I wanted it to but I couldn't help but think about my new shy student. Bandit. A really interesting name. 

She was tall and lanky and had black glasses around her light brown hair and green eyes. She was wearing a dark green shirt and black jeans to school and she seemed pretty normal. So why was a rather large boy calling her a freak? She looks like a good kid. A little shy, but a good kid. I was confused but I didn't want to push it. I barely know these kids. I don't need to get a reputation for being the nosey and annoying teacher. 

 

\----

"Who can tell me a fact about WWII?" I asked my class. It's been over a month since I started my job and for the most part it's pretty awesome. I love being a teacher. Most kids respected me. The other teachers thought I was a bit weird though. I wasn't on their level. I was hands down, the youngest teacher here. 

"Bandit?"

I saw her head shot up. 'She wasn't paying attention' I think to myself. She shuffled through her text book, her glasses falling off her face. 

"Fuck." She whispered to herself. 

"Bandit, were you listening to me?" I asked her walking over to her desk. I like Bandit. She was sweet and always had her work on time. Sometimes she would space out and bury her face in her sketch book. 

"Looking over more of daddy's comics to pay attention, freakshow" A student pipped in and chuckled. 

"Anthony," I threatened and he shut up. 

"Please see me after class," I said to Bandit looking right at her. The class roaring with laughter and chuckles. 

"The comic nerd gets in trouble, who would've thought!" Chelsi barked out and Bandit blushed and put her head down. I didn't want to push the poor girl. She looked really upset. 

 

The bell rang and everyone ran off to their next classes and Bandit walked over to my desk, sighing and waited for me to speak to her. 

"Are you okay?" I muttered out to her getting right to the point as to why she's here. 

"Yeah, I'm fine I guess." She mumbled looking at her books. She has 3 text books and 3 notebooks, along with her sketch book. 

"Listen," I rubbed the back of my neck, "I'm still new here. I don't really know anyone and I don't know who you are as much as other teachers. If you're feeling alone or outcasted in school, don't worry. I do, too." I smiled faintly at the teenager. 

"Really?" She looked up from her books. "You feel outcasted?" She asked. 

"Yeah! I mean, I'm a really young guy. No other teacher really wants to talk to the new young teacher. Plus I went to school here, so I'm on the same level with some of my old teachers!" I laughed. "They feel uncomfortable." I explained. 

"People laugh at me because my dad is a comic book artist and I got my talent from him," she sighed. "So I'm known as the comic geek with the even weirder dad." 

My cheeks are red. I wanted to cry and hold this poor girl. No one should be shunned for being who they are. 

"Sweetie, don't let these jerks get to you. You're bright, honest, and a good person. No one can take that from you, you got that?" I said to the shy girl as she looked right in my eyes. Her lips twitched a little. 

"That's not all they do!" She squealed. "They hit me. Hide my clothes when I'm in gym. They think it's funny!" She was on the verge of tears at this point. "No one cares." 

"Hey, hey," I whispered to her, "I care."

"I was walking to class last year once and a boy pulled me in the boys' bathroom and hit me," she admitted to me with pain in her voice. "He told me he wanted to make a nerd scream, because I'm so quiet... He put his hands down my pants." She trailed off looking away from me. "I ran so fast." 

"Bandit, please stay there." I quickly said and went outside and opened up my iPhone. I stored all the students parents' number in my phone incase. It's a good thing I did. 

"Gerard Way. Bandit's Father" the ID read as I held up my phone to get service. Fuck you, Sprint. 

"Hello?" A man answered in a normal tone. 

"Hello, Mr Way? This is Mr Iero from Belleville High, how are you?" I asked in my 'teacher' voice. 

"I'm well," I heard some shuffling, "is everything okay?" He said with concern in his voice.

I huffed. "I would be lying if I said yes. I need you to come down to the school right away. "

"Is Bandit hurt?" I heard with worry on the other end and what sounded like keys ruffled around. 

"No - she's not hurt. But I need you down here right away." 

After a "I'm on my way now." And a hang up I went back into the classroom and I saw Bandit sitting down in a front desk. 

"Am I in trouble?" She trembled. 

"No - no you're not sweetie. I called your father." 

"Please, Mr Iero," she pleaded. "It's not that serious." 

I sighed looking at her. I felt bad going behind her back and calling her dad but she wouldn't let me and this is a really serious manner that needs to addressed. 

I went over to the wall phone in the call and called the main office to tell them to get a sub for the rest of the day for me and I'm dealing with an issue with a student. The secretary happily found a replacement and told me that the rest of my classes were going to be held in another room so I can deal with the dilemma on my hands. 

We're sitting in uncomfortable silence. Bandit is sketching away, nervously in her seat and I'm reading a random book that I found at the store. I can't focus on the book. I keep looking at Bandit. Her body language is telling me she's nervous. She keeps moving her left over and shaking it around and biting her lip. I know she doesn't want to talk. I told her that her father will be arriving shortly so we can fix this problem and make sure Bandit doesn't have to deal with this any longer. 

We both jumped at the sound of the wall phone ringing after about fifteen minutes of uncomfortable silence. 

"Your dad is here," I said in the air once I got off the phone with the secretary. "I'll be right back." She nodded going back to her drawing. 

I opened the door and closed it behind me and saw her father walking up. 'Holy shit, it is him!' I think. 

It's Gerard Way from high school. We didn't really talk back in the day but Gerard was always a quiet kid. Now I think about it him and his daughter are very alike. I always had a thing for him. I really liked how he stood up for himself when people tired torment him. He left school shortly 10th grade. No one ever knew the reason. 

"Nice to meet you, Mr Way," I said. There was no room for a reunion when something happened with his kid. 

"Likewise," he mumbled back at me. "What happened with Bandit?" He said getting right to the point. 

"Well, let me start by telling you that Bandit is a real pleasure to have in my class. She really smart and quite talented. She's not in any trouble -" 

"Can you get to the point already?" Gerard spat at me. 

"She's been getting bullied. This has apparently been going on for a long time, too. She told me about an incident that happened last year. This is my first year teaching so I never knew of this." I explained to the worried father. 

"C'mon, let's go inside. I'm sure you want to see her." 

With a shaky breath Bandit went into detail of her bullying and the sexual harassment that occurred last year. Gerard was holding her hand as she told her father what has been going on. She sniffed and pulled her glasses away. Cleaning them off with her blue Superman shirt. 

"I'm sorry, dad. I know I should've told you," she sniffed looking up at him. 

"B, this isn't your fault." 

She explained to her dad how people pick on her because her dad doesn't have a "respectful" job and people shun her for inheriting the artistic gene in the Way family. 

"So what do we do now?" Gerard silently said leaving Bandit to come up to my desk and talk to me. 

"Well," I started, shifting my body in my chair, standing up, "we can ask Bandit who is bullying her and we suspend them. You can file a police report, or you can have her transfer schools." I cooly said to the father. 

"Bandit won't want to do transfer, and I know a police report will be out of the question. I guess we can have the group of kids suspended." Gerard mumbled. 

I looked over Gerard's tall shoulder and saw that Bandit was gone. My eyes went wide. 

"She went to the car." He explained, knowing his kid extremely well. "I signed her out for the day." 

"Well, Mr Way, I'm glad we got this settled. I'm glad you're not going to transfer Bandit. I really like her in my class."

"She's a good kid," Gerard smiled with pride. "The light of my life. I had her when I was really young and it took a while to get settled down with her, but she's worth it." 

"It must be hard being a single dad." I replied. 

He laughed faintly, "the hard part is over. Bandit is so good. I'm surprised she's mine sometimes. She's her own person now. I was only 16 when I had her, her mom and I didn't get along and she signed her rights over to me when B was 2 years old." He said with a smile. I thought it was strange but I knew it was because he was so proud of his daughter. 

"You went here, didn't you?" I told him, changing the subject on him. 

"Yes I did. You're Frank Iero. I remember you." He smirked at me. 

"So now it makes sense, you left school because you had Bandit." I explained mostly to myself than him. 

"Yep." He flatly said. "I got my diploma through a GED program. I wanted to work to support B. When Bandit was 7 I went to college and my mom watched her most of the time. Now I have a college degree and we live on our own and not in my moms basement." He replied laughing. 

"That's wonderful," I said back to the tall man. "I'm glad it all worked out for you.l

"Thanks," he smiled. "I gotta go, Bandit is waiting for me. Thank you for everything. You're pretty alright." He said shaking my hand, grinning. 

"Have a good day!" I yelled as he left the classroom. 

So that's what happened to him? I remember in school people were gossiping about him. Saying he turned to drugs and left the state. It was relieving knowing that was false and he was simply just doing the right thing by his kid. It was a really brave of him. I commended him on it actually. 

And goddamn, he grew up to be a hell of an attractive man!


	2. Songs For The Weak

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frank is a history teacher at his old high school and he has a rather interesting new student. Bandit Way. She was tall and lanky and the other students shunned her for being the "weird kid". Frank has no other choice but to call her father in for a meeting to tell him the horrible news that his little girl is getting bullied.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm still new to this site. I hope I posted the second chapter right. Enjoy my friends! It's starting to get more serious.

From my knowledge, no students have been pulled from school since I talked to Bandit's father about the bullying. It made me upset. Either Bandit didn't want to come forward about the said bullying, or Belleville High is still shitty with that kind of stuff. Both scenarios upset me. 

_'Did you really think you had a chance with Marie Lopez? You really thought I wouldn't find out? You're so lame, sending her letters. You fucking pathetic loser!' James Smith yelled at me with my back against a locker._

_'James please I -' I couldn't even finish what I was about to say, James punched me right in my gut causing me to hunch over in pain. My lower stomach currently killing me didn't stop me from attempting to stand up for myself and punch the much larger man._

_I failed and I got slammed into the ground. James is now on top of me, throwing blows to my face. Trying my best to cover my face but I had no luck and I accepted my fate._

_'Don't you ever,' punch, 'ever think about talking to my girlfriend ever again!' Another punch to my face._

_'The world would be better off without you, you know that? You fucking loser. Go play your sappy guitar and leave the normal kids alone! The world would be better off without your kind!' James spit on my face and laughter echoed the employed halls. That's I remember before James got off me and went on his way. Throwing papers at me before he left._

_Coming back to reality, letting what just happened sink, I sighed._

_Touching my face, now a little bloody, I wince in pain and get up from the ground. I picked up the paper. They were the songs I wrote for Marie Lopez, I was too shy to talk to her so I wrote some songs signing them "F. IERO"._

_Boy, do I regret having feelings for Marie Lopez..._

High school was hell for me. I begged my mom to let me transfer schools. Once I was labeled the loser who tried to get with a 'normal' girl it only got worse. I was made fun of for playing guitar and trying to make my voice heard and start a band. It wasn't the 'cool' thing and my fellow classmates made it very clear I was, indeed, not cool. I always told them that they'll see my face on TV and they will curse at themselves for making fun of the chubby, horror movie loving, music obsessed nerd. 

Sadly, that never happened for me. 

"Mr Iero?" A voice asked, snapping me back into reality. I look up and saw Bandit standing in front of me. 

"What's up, Bandit?" I ask her. 

"I wrote this," she replied, "for you." She smiled and she was off to her next class. I assigned a test for the day so the whole period was spent doing a test. 

I looked over the letter, sipping my coffee. 

Mr Iero,

I really appreciate you trying to help me. No one has ever tried before and it was nice feeling like someone cares for my well being. I decided to ignore the people making fun of me though. My dad isn't so happy about the idea, but it's what I want to do. But I wanted to tell you thank you. If I need anything I will be coming to you for now on. Also this made me and my dad closer so thank you for that too. 

From your geeky student,  
Bandit Way 

I frowned at the letter. I really wish she would've stood up for herself and got those pricks in trouble. Sighing I put the letter inside my desk drawer for safe keeping. 

\----

"Dad I'm home!" I heard a cheer echo the quiet house. I looked over at the clock. 2:34PM. The usual time Bandit comes home from school. 

I sat up and left my work office. Papers scattered all over the place and empty coffee containers. The room is brighter than the outside world. I keep my work office really light so I can inspect ever little detail in my work. 

"Hey, B." I greeted my daughter with a smile. "How was school?" 

"The usual." She rolled her eyes, laughing and going into the refrigerator grabbing a can of Diet Coke. 

"I had 2 tests today and I found out I'm going to be in the art show." She explained sitting down at the coffee table. 

Ever since Bandit's mom signed her rights away it's been just me and her. I love her. I couldn't be happier with the life I have. It was really rough but she made me a better person. I pushed myself to make something out of myself so she didn't have to say she has a dead beat father who couldn't take care of her. All my hard work, blood, sweat, and tears were all for her. It was all for her. 

I'm beyond happy with the relationship I hold with her. She's very open with me and I'm open with her too. I taught her since she was a little girl that she can come to me with anything, even if I would get upset, I wanted her to tell me. I wouldn't judge her and I would do anything in my power to help her with any issue she's having. 

"That's great!" I cheered sitting down next to her. 

I always wanted Bandit to be creative and have an artistic outlook. When she was younger and I would be drawing I would hold up the drawing and ask what she thought. 'Wow daddy! I want to draw like you when I'm a big kid!' She would beam at me with happy, jolly eyes. 

I couldn't be anymore proud of my little girl. 

"Yeah I'm excited," she said back holding her drink. "They're putting in my 'Killjoy' piece" 

I smiled big at her. She did a redraw of my comic book for an art project. It was almost like I was part of the art show.

"Blue?" I ask back to her. Bandit drew a much larger version of the character in my comic 'Blue', of course, with her own little Bandit twist to it. Making it her own. 

"Yeah," she smiled, "my teacher really loved it." 

"I also gave Mr Iero a letter," she said after a few seconds of comfortable silence. 

"Oh?"

I really wish she would've reported the people teasing her. She said she wanted to ignore it because she's better than them. Once she got it off her chest about her bullying she's been a little happier. I think she just needed to tell me. I know she hates keeping anything from me. She also comes to me more. In a way it made us closer than before. 

"Yeah," she replied standing up, she takes after me so much. Just like myself, when she talks she's got to be moving around. "It was really nice of him and all. So I wanted to tell him thank you, but you know me..." 

"Yeah," I chuckle knowing exactly what she was going to say next, "it's easier in writing." I said in my 'Bandit' voice. 

I'm really glad Frank is her teacher. I remember Frank in school being kind of quiet but whenever I encountered him he was always nice to me. He was kind of a pushover in a way. He would believe everyone, too. He got pushed around a lot. He was short and a little chubby, but I wouldn't expect less, he's an only child and Italian. Italian mom's love to over feed their children. I was a victim myself. 

Now that Frank is an adult he slimmed down. He's still short but his facial appearance sure changed. He really grew up to be a really good looking man. 

I always told myself after the issues within Bandit's mother I would never date women again. I'm bisexual, so my options aren't all gone. I just only date men now. 

Bandit, naturally, knows about this. 

Every since she was younger I always told her, 'you only have one daddy, but maybe one day I'll have a boyfriend. Still he won't be your daddy.' She asked me if that is normal because she thought boys were supposed to be with girls. I told her that it's not always like that. That some boys like boys and some girls like girls and it's okay. Love has no gender. 

I'm so proud of myself for raising her this way. 

 

"You know Mr Iero and I went to school together." I said to her. 

"Really?" She said with interest. "That's cool. Were you two friends?" She said back to me. 

"Nah," I explained. "We both kept to ourselves, he was always really nice to me though."

"Oh yeah?" She smiled sitting back down, causing the chair to make a stealing noise. "Maybe he's single." She did a tune to her last sentence and I rolled my eyes. 

"Bandit." I started, "don't even think about it." I warned.

Bandit knows I love her, and my job, and my life, but sometimes it's lonely with it just being me and her all the time. Bandit always tries to get me to go on dates and find myself the perfect man, 'it's only because you deserve it. You're the best person I know!" She would always say to me. 

"But he's cute!" She protested. "You never know!"

I laughed and threw a pencil that was on the table at her. "No!" I laughed getting up ruffling her hair. "I'm not going to even attempt that." 

"Aw dad!" She whined laughing," why you gotta mess up my hair!" 

"It's already messy! You don't brush that lion tamed hair!" I laughed back at her turning on the coffee machine. I couldn't say much, I barely comb my hair. 

She laughed and gave me a playful push and told me that she was going to start her homework then work on some of her new drawings. A major rule in the Way household, you do all your regular school work first, then art work. 

"I'll be making dinner a little late tonight!" I yelled as she darted out the room. I smiled and returned to fixing my coffee. 

\----

I fucking love Fridays. They're the best. I don't got to do much work. I never assign work on Fridays.

For the most part students generally liked me. I was the teacher that I would've wanted in high school. Not a hardass but also someone who wouldn't take your shit if you disrespected me. I didn't overwork my students but I also didn't let them slack off. Most of the time the class is debates and talking about history. Not writing it down. It's an option to write down notes. I treated them like adults and they really like that. Most of the time they're writing notes to keep for later. 

Now don't get it twisted. I don't make it a free period on Fridays. We would all talk about our week and if they have any questions regarding class then we would talk about that. 

Right now we are in a discussion about the Great Depression. We are talking about the struggles of their time, and the fear that we are facing another Great Depression soon in our time. 

During these talks on Fridays it's an option to pay attention or if you want to work on something else in silence. Naturally, like all Fridays, Bandit is not participating in this discussion and she's drawing away. I know she takes her art seriously so I don't get on her case and think that she's just doodling. I know she's not. 

"Alright, gals and ghouls, I'll see you all Monday! Also if any of you are in the art show, be sure to give me your work by next week so I can set it all up." I stated to the class as I heard the bell. 

I was in charge of the schools art show and I was really excited. I always took a great appreciation for art. I wasn't bad at it. I just didn't see myself doing much with it and I didn't have that "passion" but I sure as hell had the appreciation for the people who had the artistic drive. 

It was risky having the new teacher run something as big as this, but no one else was stepping up to the plate. Not even the art teachers. They said they didn't have the time to do it. So they had no other choice. It was bitter sweet. They only had me do it because no one else was going to do it, but I'm happy to be doing it either way. 

Students raced out the class getting ready for their next class. Smiling I open up my laptop and started looking over my assignments for Monday. 

"Hey Mr Iero, I have my art show piece for you." Bandit said walking over to my desk. 

"Great!" I beamed. "I'm really excited."

Bandit has been happier lately and that feels like a relief. I was getting worried about her. She's naturally a quiet girl but she seems to be more sure of herself. People still tease her and call her names and everything but she doesn't let it bother her and she just focuses on her school work and art. I have a sense of pride in the teenager and some envy. When I was a victim of the abuse it only made me suicidal, but that's for another day to talk about. 

"Yeah," she smiled. "Dad's really proud of me." 

"He should be." 

"You know, dad told me you two know each other." She stated with a smirking smile. 

"Yep, we do!" I smiled. "He was a cool dude in school." 

"I wish he wasn't always alone though. I know he's lonely." She said with a frown. 

"I'm sure he will find a good girl one day." I started with a ping in my heart. 

Once I started college I realized I was gay. I lost my virginity to my ex girlfriend, Jamia, in college. After having sex I broke up with her because I didn't feel any real connection and confessed to her that I am gay. She took it lightly and said she still wanted to still be friends. Ever since she's been my partner in crime and best friend. She owns an animal shelter and lives in the next town over from me. 

I never met anyone like Jamia. She is short with brown hair and we are so alike. She's weird, witty, sarcastic and fun just like me. She's everything you can want in a best friend. She's a free spirt and laid back. She's a little more clam than me though. I'm more hyper and I don't always think through of things that I want to do. Sometimes I don't know how she's been dealing with me so many years. 

"Oh. He doesn't date women." She explained with her hand on her chin. "Well, he's bisexual, but he has this thing where only dates men now." She stated. "Not that he really dated much. I wish he would date more, though." 

My mouth was gaped open. I couldn't stop myself from dropping my jaw. This is a seriously small world. There's no way Bandit just told me her father likes men. The chances of me finding a another guy is so slim. I hate gay bars and clubs so I usually never find anyone for me. What's even worse is that as cute and sexy I find the older Gerard Way, I can't date him. He's my students father. 

With an evil smirk Bandit tells me, "maybe sooner than later my dad will find himself a good boyfriend."

I blushed and turned my head away, making it seem like I was just nodding my head. I really didn't want to show Bandit I have an interest in her dad. With my head turned I saw a nosey Chelsi peeping her head in the door. When our eyes met she darted away. 

Shit. The sole leader in the "lets torment Bandit Way" fan club just heard Bandit confess that her father likes men. I already know this isn't going to go well. 

\----

"What if they don't like it!" I panicked. Pacing around the room, venting to my very best friend, Lindsay. 

"They will, Gee. Will you fucking clam down." Lindsay said back to me flipping through the pages of my newest comic 

My contract with Dark Horse was almost expired and if I don't come out with something great they can decide to stop resign the contract and I'll be out of a job. I can't let myself be unemployed. It would kill me if I got to ask my mom to let me and Bandit move back into her basement apartment. 

"Linds! I need this to be perfect!" I panicked. "I can't! I so can't handle this!" The dramatic side in me rose and I fanned myself, giving myself air. 

"You're such a girl. You got to chill." Lindsay replied. "This is great work, Gerard."

I met Lindsay at art school. She had a crush on me and I hurt her a little when I denied her feelings. Soon later I explained to her and she fully understood. We soon became close and tight friends. I also knew she would be someone I would bring my daughter around. At the time Bandit was still very young and I was always nervous of people coming around my little girl. 

If I were to date a woman again it would be her. She's beautiful, she has big brown eyes and dyed black hair. She's tall and super cool. She's more like a "one of the boys" type of chick. She loves horror movies and plays bass and owns a art gallery in Newark. I never met anyone better than her. She is the best friend anyone can ask for. She's also a great female role model for Bandit. Don't get me wrong, Bandit is open with me, but she needs that female figure for her to become a fine young woman. Lindsay is the perfect woman for that. Lindsay always tells my daughter that she can be whoever she wants and to not let the "men" try to slow her down and stomp on whatever she wants to do just because she's a girl. 

She's pretty much perfect, Bandit is true perfection, though. Lindsay is a close second, though. 

"How's Lady B?" Lindsay asks, changing the subject. "Those assholes stop bothering her? Did you convince her to file a report to the school yet?"

"Nah," I sighed. I hate hearing about her bullying at school, but I respect her and not pry into it and get the school involved. I'm really the biggest sucker for her.

"Assholes." Lindsay muttered. 

"I know." I frowned. "It breaks my heart, but she doesn't want to do anything about it." I said back to my friend. 

"She'll get her revenge when she's a famous artist and they're begging for food and she has major success." Lindsay said with a proud smile. I know she was right. 

I heard a loud slam of the front door and a loud yelp come from the downstairs.

"The hell?" I asked. Mostly to the air and not towards Lindsay. We both went down to see what was going on. 

Downstairs was my daughter with dirt all over her, a fat lip, and broken glasses in her hands. Tears running down her face. She was on the floor behind the door, heavy breathing. 

"Bandit!" I yelled with panic running through my veins. Grabbing her into a hug and I pick her up from the floor. "What happened, baby?" I squeaked out trying to hold back my tears of seeing my daughter in physical pain. 

"Fucking Chelsi, that bitch." Was all she said. Chelsi was one of the girls who pick on her. The girl who does it the most to her. 

"What happened, hunny?" Lindsay chimed in.

"I was talking to Mr Iero," she explains within deep breaths. "I kind of told him how you like guys. It kind of just came up." She breathes deep again, blushing. She already knows she's going to have a talk with me about that later, but we have bigger issues on our hands to deal with lectures. After a few seconds she finally gets her breathing under control. 

"Well, Chelsi heard me telling him and while I was leaving for the bus she jumped me," she said letting her tears fall. "She said not only are you and dad art freaks but he's a faggot too." She whimpered hugging me tight with her eyes shut. "Then she took my glasses and stomped on them and kicked dirt all over me." She cried even harder into my chest. 

"Oh, baby..." I whispered kissing her hair. 

I look up and saw a sole emotion in my best friends eyes. Anger. I saw red and steam in Lindsay's eyes. She cares about Bandit just as much as I do and I know hearing and seeing the abuse of Bandit is boiling her blood. I give Lindsay sad eyes and hold my daughter tighter. 

I can't help but feel a major guilt in my gut. She gets picked on, jumped, laughed at and teased because of me. If I was the "normal" dad none of this would've happened to her. No one would bother her. Why the fuck did I have to be bisexual? Why did I go to art school? Why couldn't I just become something more suitable than a fucking comic book artist? I chased my dream with Bandit with me on the road and I destroyed her own road for my selfish actions. I felt like the worst dad in the world and a failure. You don't know true pain and failure until you let your own kid down. I let her down. It's as simple as that. I failed her as a dad. 

I know better than telling her this, she will just tell me I'm wrong. She can be as stubborn as much as me sometimes and I curse myself sometimes for her taking after so much after me. My mom always told me that Bandit is her payback for what I put her through as a kid. 

I wasn't the best of kids. I was a little much to deal with. At a really young age I started to get depressed. I started to drink at 13 years old after finding a bottle of Jack Daniels in my parents' liquor cabinet. I was drinking heavily alone at a tender young age and didn't want to stop I would hide in my room and drink until I was so drunk I would come up the stairs and tell my mom how can she live with herself for having such a horrible son. I blame good ol' Jack for my misjudgment and not wearing a condom the night I got Bandit's mom pregnant. I don't regret Bandit though. I only regret drinking so much and letting it destroy me and my family for years. I don't dare touch the liquids that once took full control of my life. 

That's the only thing that Bandit doesn't know about me. 

I continue to hold my daughter and Lindsay following through. Both of us telling her that it's going to be okay and that we love her dearly. 

\----

I spent my weekend hanging out with Jamia. I haven't seen her much since I started my job at the school and I felt like a terrible best friend. We watched movies and laughed and joked. We went to the bar and hung out and had a few beers. 

It felt like old times minus the band. Jamia was our number 1 fan of my band. It felt good going out with short sleeves showing off my tattoos without worrying about them being shown. It felt nice feeling a little immature again without grading papers and just having a good time with my dearest friend. 

We saw a random local band at Maxwells. The band played decently. I felt a sense of jealously though. This used to be my fucking dream to play. I loved playing so much. I loved taking all my emotions and channelling them all into my guitar. I always felt so much better after bouncing around on stage screaming my lungs out. I felt a sense of self power being on the stage. I had the world in the hands when I was on stage. My band never played in major arenas but it didn't matter. I played my heart out. Weather we played a room with 20 kids or 600 kids (which was the largest we played of at a skate park) I always played like I was in front of a thousands of kids. I felt like I had a purpose. 

But it's Monday now and it's time to welcome reality back and that I'm a teacher. Waking up at 6AM and wearing a button up long sleeve shirt and a tie and a respectful hair style. 

Approaching my 4th class I felt like I was going to pass out. I was beyond tired. I didn't sleep at all last night and the coffee wasn't helping me. I just needed to get through today I keep telling myself. I've done worse. I can do this...

"Hey Bandit," I smiled but slowly turned into a frown. She wasn't wearing her glasses and it looked like she had a bruise on her left eye. She was wearing a large black Misfits hoodie and had her head down. Not making eye contact with anyone or a anything but the gray floor. 

"Is everything okay?" I asked her getting up from my seat. I lifted her chin up to look at the mark on her face. 

"Yeah." She mumbled going back to the class to her seat. 

I frowned and kept my eye on her for the time being. I know I shouldn't pry into her life but this really worries me. With the secret of knowing about her bullying and now a bruise on her face just alarms me. 

When Chelsi walked in the class I saw Bandit get alarmed and shift her body so she was facing the wall next to her, her body in a panic. 

"You came to school today, Freak? I thought I showed you that you and your dads kind don't belong here?"

I felt like I was a kid again. Getting beat up by James. Those exact words being told to me. "Your kind don't belong here." 

"Chelsi!" I yelled. My anger getting the best of me. "Get out of my class - now!" I yelled at the teenage girl. 

She smirked and smacked Bandit upside her head and walked out of the class with pride. 

The whole class cheered and laughed as the abuse took place. Roars and claps beaming through the room. A teary eyed Bandit put her head down in shame and humiliation.

"All of you," I warned. "Stop it now before I make sure you all get suspended!" 

"Oh great!" A student protested with their hands in the air. "Bandit became Mr Iero's teachers pet! You're so pathetic, Bandit! You can't get friends so you become a suck up. You're such a loser! You and your faggot dad!" The student yelled with venom in his voice. 

Bandit looked up. Her face red and wet with tears. She slowly got out of her seat and left the classroom. 

A mix of anger and sadness ran through me. It was heart breaking watching this play before my eyes. How can people be so cruel? So heartless? How can someone be like this? I always hoped it would end as time went on but it just kept going. It's such an evil cycle. The world is full of hate and it's truly ugly. The world is really fucking ugly. 

It was then I realized I was watching a movie of my high school years. It was playing right before my hazel eyes, and Bandit Way was staring as Frank Iero.


	3. Impulsive.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frank is a history teacher at his old high school and he has a rather interesting new student. Bandit Way. She was tall and lanky and the other students shunned her for being the "weird kid". Frank has no other choice but to call her father in for a meeting to tell him the horrible news that his little girl is getting bullied.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait. I've been busy. I'm not too happy about this one. Hopefully it gets better! Xoenjoy

Dinner was not normal for Bandit and I. We ate in silence and she seemed a little upset. 

"What's wrong?" I asked out into the awkward air. 

"Kids from school." She mumbled playing with her food with her fork. 

"What happened?"

"People keep making fun of me because you date guys." 

I sighed, "I don't date at all."

"Maybe you should start." She spat at me, her mood changing. 

"You should keep our home life at home and not at school." I calmly said to her. 

"It's like I broadcasted it, I was telling Mr Iero." She hissed at me. "I like talking to him."

"You like trying to set me up with a boyfriend."

She looked up at me for the first time since we started talking. "You barely date. Since mom -"

"Don't," I warned, "don't bring her up." 

"How fucked up did she make you? You're so scared to date. Was she that bad?" She asked. 

"We are not talking about this," I hissed taking a sip of my drink.

"You'll have to tell me sooner or later who the fuck my mom is!" She yelled her mood changing to anger. 

"Bandit Lee! Drop it now!"

I told Bandit to go to her room and do her homework. I was really upset with her. I don't really yell at her because I never really have to, I always hate doing it, though. 

I don't know who I'm more upset with. Myself or Bandit. She was right, I haven't really seen anyone since her mother. 

When I first met Candice I was 14. She was nice enough to talk to me and it was cool. I felt cool. I had a hot girlfriend and that's all what mattered to me. I felt like I was going to marry her. My hands fit perfectly with hers.

After a year we became extremely destructive. Our lives were surrounded by booze and drugs. I was highly addicted to cocaine and Xanax. I lost over 60 pounds in 6 months for doing it alone. I was more addicted to the feeling of snorting the powder. The days and nights with Candice consisted of fighting and finding drugs. It's all what we had on our minds. I didn't care about anything. I just wanted to get high. I just wanted to get pain killers - crush them up, and have it go straight into my brain. I called myself the dumpster drug addict. I would do anything you put in my hands. Mostly pain killers, Xanax, and cocaine.

After a night of drinking, fighting, and angry make up sex - within 9 weeks Candice walked to my house and she had a worried look on her face with a pregnancy test in her hands. 

_"I'm pregnant." She bluntly said standing in front of my house. The clouds were dark and my eyes were even darker._

_"What.." Was all I could say to all of this._

_"I'm serious."_

_My legs were weak. My eyes hurt. I felt sick to my stomach. What am I going to do? I can't take care of a child. I can't even take care of myself. I can't runaway from this. I have to be a man. I have to do what it takes._

_But I'm only 16 years old! I'm still a kid myself! How am I going to go to school? I'll have to quit the drugs, I guess. I don't want to._

_"MOM!" I yelled grabbing my girlfriend into my house in a panic._

_"Mom! I need to talk to you!!"_

_Some will tell you that I'm a Momma's Boy, I really do go to her for everything. I'm her first son, in her eyes I can't do anything wrong. She knows about me doing drugs, but it doesn't stop her from believing my lies that I'll try to quit for her. I feel bad lying. It's amazing what drugs can do. They'll turn you into the best liar out there._

_"What's wrong, Gerard?" My mom said walking down the stairs. "Hey, Candice, how are you sweetie?"_

_"We need to talk and you need to sit down." I said with panic pulsing through my veins._

_"You're scaring me, Gerard." She sternly said to me sitting down on the couch._

_I'm scaring myself! I can't believe this is happening to me._

_"I - well, I don't -"_

_"I'm pregnant." Candice said for me._

_Silence._

_She said nothing. She just looked at me. Then at Candice, then into space. I wanted her to say something. Kick me out, yell at me, call me an idiot. Something! The silence is killing me and I want to do a line to clam my damn nerves. I just want a pain killer right now. I fumbled with the small blue pill that was in my pocket wishing this was over so I can go into the bathroom and take the edge off._

_"Well," she finally said. "What are the plans?"_

_"I want to keep it." Candice said softly._

_"Candice," she started, "I'm not stupid. I know what you and Gerard do."_

_Drugs._

_"I know way more than you think," she continued, "you need to go into a rehab center right away. You have drugs in your blood and that is harming the baby. Don't trust yourself quitting cold turkey for the chance of a relapse. Also when you give birth they drug test the baby, if anything is in that child," she pointed to her stomach, "you won't see your kid."_

_Candice's eyes started to swell up and the reality hit her. I felt my own eyes water too._

_"What about Gerard!" She yelled. "He needs rehab, too!" She squealed out._

_"I'm not carrying the baby!" I yelled back. "I can get clean on my own!"_

_"Bullshit! You're desperate at this very moment!" She fought back with me. Anger rising in me._

_"You just told me I'm going to be a dad at 16!" I panicked._

_"You asshole!" She hissed, "I'm the one who needs rehab!"_

_"STOP!" My mom screamed at both of us and we both stopped the fight._

_"I'm not playing couples therapy! Candice, let's go to the Yellow Pages and find yourself a center. We need to do this now."_

_My blood boiled and I went into my room while my mom and Candice find a center for her. I did a pain killer and went into a drug coma. Wishing I could get my head straight._

I shuttered as the memories filled my mind and I start to cry. 

I've been playing both mommy and daddy for all these years and it's mentally and physically exhausting. I know it's twice the work but twice the love but I do crave for that chemistry that I've been needing for all these years, the fear of pain and rejection and fighting. Candice and I always fought and it was toxic. Almost like cancer. 

Sighing I got up and went up to Bandit's room. 

I heard music playing before I knocked on her door. She's listening to Black Flag. I smile to myself despite my sadness. She's just like me, when she's upset she listens to Black Flag. 

I knocked on the dark brown door loudly so she can hear my knocks. Waiting a second I entered her room. 

She's on her twin sized bed with a text book on the bed and a note book sitting up against the head board. She gives me a small smile and turns down her iPod Dock and waits for me to talk. 

Bandit's room is similar to what my room looked like when I was a kid. It was half messy. Papers all over the place, a messy desk with drawings and art work on the walls. Almost like wallpaper. 

"I'm sorry for yelling," I apologize to my daughter with sad eyes. "I hate yelling at you." 

"I know." She bluntly says to me. "I was only trying to help you." 

"I know," I reply.

"I just -" she fixes her glasses. "Want you to have someone." 

"I know you do, baby, but I have to do it on my own. I can't try to find love, it has to find me."

"I love you." She whimpers, getting off her bed and giving me a tight hug. 

"I love you more," I whisper kissing her hair hugging her tighter. 

\----

 

Bandit hasn't been in school for a week. No phone calls. Nothing. I was really worried. I was losing sleep and my coworkers knew I was generally not myself and I seemed distracted. 

Gerard was a really good dad. He was nice, artistic, and really handsome. His eyes keep playing inside my head. They were flawless. 

After school on Friday I decided to take a trip to the Way household to make sure everything was ok and Bandit was fine. 

It doesn't hurt that I'll also get to see her very attractive father in the process. 

I pulled up Bandit's file and found her address and smiled a little. I knew exactly where she lives. It's not hard to navigate yourself around the small town. 

I felt anxiety on the drive to the Way's. This is so unprofessional and I can easily get fired for doing this, but I also didn't care. Plus, when was I the kind of man who obeyed the rules? I always broke them. It's like a habit I'll always have no matter what. Even as an adult I still rebel against a higher power. If my boss finds out I'm screwed. I'll be so fucked. 

I pulled up to the house. It was a little small. Two story house and it was light brown. A dark silver Honda was parked in the drive way and you can tell the grass was freshly cut not too long ago. It was typical. Minus the mail box. The mail box was painted by most likely Gerard and Bandit together. It was a mess of different bright colors with "G & B WAY" painted on the side of it. It's pretty cool, I really liked it. I love how artistic they both are. I envy Gerard for following his true dream and making it his career. I really do fully commend the guy. 

I finally turned off my car and took a deep sharp breath and get out, walking up to the home. 

I knock on the door 3 times and stepped back a few feet. Waiting for the answer. 

After almost a minute the door creeps open. It was Gerard. 

"Frank," he said, shocked. "Um - come in?" It came out more like a question then a statement. 

I half smiled and walked into the home feeling uneasy. When you walk in the Way home you walk into the kitchen. It was a light brown room and a little small. A round coffee table with mail and coffee rings around the white table. Typical signs of "Love conquers this home" and things of that scattered across the walls of the small room. A set of keys placed onto the counter, only guessing they belonged to Gerard. 

"What brings you here?" He asks guiding me into the living room and out of kitchen. 

"Well," I started, "I was worried about Bandit." 

"I pulled Bandit out of school for a week. We needed some time to ourselves." He stated to me. 

Raising my eyebrow I asked, "is everything ok?"

He laughed, "yeah, no everything is okay. I just wanted to have alone time with B."

I felt so fucking stupid. Why do I let my panics get the best of me? I always do this! I will over think something and I'll over due it. I always do! It's such a bad habit. Some will tell you I'm incredibly impulsive. 

"Oh," I blushed, turning my heels to leave. 

"Hey," Gerard replied, grabbing my arm, turning me around, face to face with the taller man, "stay for some coffee, yeah?"

I nodded my head and smiled. Gerard and I used to be classmates so it's not weird, right? It's not strange I'm in a students house about to drink coffee with their artist dad, right? This is fine. I went to school with him, it's like catching up. Only thing is I'm catching up with someone who I was never really friends with to begin with, but I still knew him. It's not weird. 

I'm terrible at trying to convince myself that is justified. 

"So it was nice you checking up on Bandit," Gerard smiled handing my a coffee. We left the living room and went into the kitchen. 

"I was worried," I blurted out, feeling nervous. 

"Sometimes we need alone time. When she comes home from school I'm usually still working on new work and we don't see each other too much. I wanted some father - daughter bonding." He said with a big smile sipping his coffee.

"That's good," I explained looking at my surroundings. My heart was pounding and my tie felt like it was choking me. I took a deep breath, loosening my tie. If I didn't loosen it I would think that my head would fall off. 

"Uh - are you ok?" He asked worried. 

"Just a little warm," I mumbled. 

"So why don't you take your dress shirt off? I'm sure you have an under shirt on." He said laughing. 

I nodded my head, my face turning red. I'm in my students house, with her father who I was a little crush on, and he just asked me to take off my dress shirt. Breathe...

I took off the gray button down shirt and exposed my V Neck white shirt, exposing my tattoos. I pretty much had 2 full sleeves, along with that I have tattoos on my back and stomach and chest. I spent so much money on the ink on my skin and I spend most of my days covering them up. 

"Whoa!" He gasped, running his fingers over my Black Flag tattoo. "Awesome..."

Blushing from the touch of his fingers I mumbled a thanks. 

"Beautiful," he whispered out. "I love tattoos. You gotta meet my best friend Lindsay. She has a bunch of tattoos, too." I was frozen in time as Gerard traced my tattoos with his long, cold fingers.

"So," he continued, changing the subject and stepping away from my inked skin, "Bandit told me you're her favorite teacher." 

I lifted my head up and smiled, "really?"

"Really." He repeated. "I gotta admit, it's really weird you're a teacher." He confessed with a giggle. 

"You were the short, punk ass kid in high school," he laughed. "I shouldn't judge, people thought I died!" He laughed again even harder. 

"Well, I'm still short," I laughed at my 5'6" small frame, rolling my eyes. 

"I dig it," he said moving his seat towards me a little closer, my heart beat increasing.

There was no doubt in my mind that I thought Gerard was attractive. He was tall, pale, and had lovely eyes that you can get lost in. His hair was dark brown with a small patch of blonde near his right ear. He was dressed kind of dorky but it was incredibly adorable. He had on a black shirt with paint all over it, no doubt a painting/at home shirt, a pair of dark blue jeans and wearing no shoes. Just black and green striped socks. His smile made my heart beat faster than normal, his lips curled into the perfect smile and his thin pink lips leaving marks inside my head, wanting to kiss them so badly.

"Dad!" A voice called from the upstairs, causing me to jump from my day dreaming. 

"What, B!" Gerard yelled back, not leaving his seat. 

I heard a door close and running down the stairs. 

"I can't find my red paint, hand it over!" She yelled running into the kitchen, stopping dead in her tracks.

She was wearing a white tank top, it was revealing a small section of her flat stomach, and black sweat pants. She had paint all over her hands and arms. Her dark hair pulled up into a bun. There was a paint brush shoved in her bun. She had a shocking look on her face, staring right at me. 

"Oh - uh, hi Mr Iero." She blushed putting her head down. 

"Hi, Bandit." I smiled and waved to the teenage girl. 

"The blue is in my office." Gerard explained to Bandit laughing. 

"Thanks, dad." She replied back to her father looking back up, her eyes burning into my own eyes. 

With that she left the kitchen. 

"I'm so gonna hear an ear full when you leave," he laughed rolling his eyes, taking another sip of his coffee. 

"Why is that?"

He licked his lips and my heart jumped, "she's a teenage girl with a single dad who's bisexual and won't date girls, and thinks you and I are 'a perfect match'," he said using air quotes. 

"She has a good gaydar," I mumbled.

"Oh?"

"Well, I am gay." I laughed, confessing to the taller man, blushing. 

I felt my heart race. I don't really tell people that I'm gay. It's really none of their business, right? They always treat you weird after you tell them, a homophobic asshole not. People always try to get me to go to gay bars and shit. I hate them. They're gross and there's too much sex going on to find love. 

"I wanna take you out next week," a confidence in Gerard sparked up, leaning closer towards me, our faces inches apart. Panic rising in my blood. 

"I - um -" I started but stepping all over my words, I took a deep breath, "yeah. That sounds good." I smile. His breathe smells like coffee and handsome. 

"Good." He whispers kissing my cheek, I jumped from the electricity of his soft lips on my pale, cold cheek. 

"I have papers to grade," I lied. Truthfully I wanted to call Jamia and be a girl and tell her how excited I am. "I left some work Bandit missed for her." 

He smiled at me and took my hand as I stood up, "thank you. I still have your number on my cell when you called me. I'll call you soon?" He asked walking me near the door to leave. 

"Sounds good." I breathed out, trying my best to compose myself. 

Gerard gave me another kiss on my cheek and smiled at me and we said our goodbyes. I waited for him to close his door. 

Before opening my car door I punched the air in victory and excitement. I have a date! I jumped up with happiness and took my phone out and unlocked my car, calling Jamia. 

"I found love!" I yelled into the phone as soon as Jamia answered. 

I haven't been this excited about a date in so long. There was something about Gerard that draws you into him. You want to know more about him, it's like you get intoxicated by his voice and blinded by the sparkle in his eyes when he talks. He talks with passion and he talks with his hands, which I find really hot. He's always rubbing his face out of habit and it's adorable. You can't help but get wrapped up in his voice when he talks. It's like he knows the exact words to say to make your heart flutter. 

I'm so intoxicated by Gerard Way, and I want more and more. Is it possible to feel this strong by someone who you barely know? Is it fate? Is this real life?

Did I actually find love?


End file.
